Chopped strand fibers are used in dense resin-based grinding wheels to increase strength and impact resistance. The chopped strand fibers typically 3-4 mm in length, are a plurality of filaments. The number of filaments can vary depending on the manufacturing process but typically consists of 400 to 6000 filaments per bundle. The filaments are held together by an adhesive known as a sizing, binder, or coating that should ultimately be compatible with the resin matrix. One example of a chopped strand fiber is referred to as 183 Cratec®, available from Owens Corning.
Incorporation of chopped strand fibers into a dry grinding wheel mix is generally accomplished by blending the chopped strand fibers, resin, fillers, and abrasive grain for a specified time and then molding, curing, or otherwise processing the mix into a finished grinding wheel.
In any such cases, chopped strand fiber reinforced wheels typically suffer from a number of problems, including poor grinding performance as well as inadequate wheel life.
There is a need, therefore, for improved reinforcement techniques for abrasive processing tools.